On its website, the City of Chicago states that it has more than 200 miles of bike lanes and bike trails. As a result, the city is accessible for bicyclists to travel throughout many neighborhoods. In addition, Divvy, Chicago's bikeshare system, has thousands of bicycles and more than 500 stations across the city. The Loop Link system, with barrier protected bike lanes on Washington Street and Clinton Street, are critical in helping bicyclists effective navigate the Loop, Chicago's downtown area.

While Chicago has attempted to accommodate bicyclists, bicyclists are still killed or injured all too often. Through December 15, 2016, the Chicago Tribune reported that six bicyclists were killed in 2016. In comparison, New York City had 14 cyclist deaths in 2015, per the New York City Department of Transportation's most recent statistics. While New York City had more than twice as many deaths, New York City has more than three times the population of Chicago.

Any type of bicycle accident can cause severe injuries

Even when bicyclists wear helmets, follow the rules of the road and take all reasonable precautions, a motorist can cause devastating or even fatal injuries. Some of the more common types of bike accidents involve:

Drivers turning in front of a bicyclist

Drivers opening doors in front of a passing bicyclist

Drivers running bikes off the road

In addition, potholes and poorly maintained roads can cause severe injuries. Bicyclists can sustain head injuries, spinal cord injuries, the loss of limbs, broken bones and other life-altering injuries in any type of accident.

A bike accident requires exceptional legal representation

Clifford Law Offices is known across the Chicagoland area and beyond for its tenacious, skilled representation in all types of personal injury claims, including bicycle accidents. Right now our law firm is representing the surviving family members in a wrongful death lawsuit against a trucking company and driver who killed a Chicago woman in September, 2016. Our law firm has also helped multiple injured bicyclists recover fair and just compensation for their injuries, including the following recent cases:

$700,000 for a man who sustained a serious shoulder injury when his bicycle hit a pothole on the Lake Shore Drive bike trail

$310,000 for a bicyclist who sustained a concussion, knee injury and meniscus tear when hit by a driver making a left turn

$150,000 for a 10-year-old boy who suffered a non-displaced fractured tibia when he was hit by a bus

Even in the best of conditions, bicyclists still have to contend with vehicles and other potential hazards on the road. Clifford Law Offices stands ready to help any bicyclist who has been injured recover the financial resources necessary to move forward with their lives.

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